Erosion Resistant Composition and Method of Making Same

ABSTRACT

An erosion resistant composition includes a granular material and a wax including oil in which a weight percent of the oil in the wax is between 0.01-15%. The granular material includes a sand and has a first resistance to flow prior to being coated with the wax. The wax at least partially coats a portion of the granular material to form the erosion resistant composition which has a second resistance to flow after coating that is greater than the first resistance to flow prior to coating. The erosion resistant composition may be used, for example, in golf course bunkers or other landscaping applications. Related methods of making the erosion resistant composition are also described in which the granular material is dried, the wax is heated, and the granular material is blended with the melted wax.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of U.S. Non-Provisional patentapplication Ser. No. 16/859,720 filed Apr. 27, 2020, which is acontinuation of U.S. Non-Provisional patent application Ser. No.15/620,974 filed Jun. 13, 2017, that issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,675,525on Jun. 9, 2020, the contents of which applications are incorporatedherein by reference in their entirety for all purposes.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure generally relates to erosion resistantcompositions and methods of manufacturing such erosion resistantcompositions. Such compositions may be used in various landscapingapplications or athletic applications including, but not limited to, theconstruction of golf course bunkers, ballfield playing surfaces, trailsand pathways, and so forth.

BACKGROUND

Golf course bunkers (also known as “sand traps”) and their placement onthe course are an important strategic component to the game of golf and,in many cases, help establish the aesthetic of the landscape of thecourse. Accordingly, golf courses seek to maintain the appearance,consistency, and playability of the bunkers.

Golf course bunkers come in a variety of architectures that can rangefrom flat bunkers to flash-faced bunkers. Typically, flat bunkers do notcontain exposed sand that lines the side faces of the bunker and aretherefore less subject to erosion from wind and rain. In contrast,flash-faced bunkers include steep side walls that are lined with sand.While flash-faced bunkers can be attractive and can offer more rigorousplaying conditions for the players, flash-faced bunkers are moredifficult to maintain. Among other things, there may be costs associatedwith preventing or fixing the erosion that is prone to occur at the sidefaces of the bunker. Additionally, because the graded sand is prone toshift, the sand often needs to be replaced or filtered if the sandbecomes blended with dirt or soil from exposed side faces.

The rate of erosion within a bunker having an inclined side can dependon a variety of factors such as, for example, exposure to wind, rain,and irrigation systems, but also depends on the height and slope of theside walls. As the height and slope of the side walls increases, so doesthe potential for the displacement of the sand. Over time, continuouserosion results in the exposure of the underlying soil layer. Prolongedexposure of the soil layer leads to the contamination of the sand withsilt and clay, and eventually leads to discoloration, poor drainage, andfirmer playing conditions. All of these factors contribute to a highmaintenance cost associated with raking, filtering, or replacing thesand within the flash-faced bunkers.

Some erosion resistant systems have been developed that focus onstabilizing the interface between the sand and underlying soil. This hasbeen attempted, for example, by installing a liner at the interfacetherebetween. However, one of the problems associated with applying aliner at the interface between the sand and the underlying soil layer isthat the liner becomes exposed as the sand thins due to erosion. Duringroutine maintenance, rakes often catch the material of the liner causingthem to tear and form holes in the linear or the liner, when exposed,may curl up. Soil is then allowed to pass through the holes in the lineror pass around the liner and can contaminate the sand. Consequently, thelifetime of the liners is limited, and replacement of the liners isoften an expensive process requiring that the sand trap effectively beemptied for replacement.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Disclosed herein is an erosion resistant composition of sand for golfcourse bunkers and other landscaping applications. Unlike the currentstate-of-the-art solutions that focus on stabilizing the interfacebetween the sand and the underlying soil layer, the newly-disclosederosion resistant sand composition inhibits erosion along the side wallsof the bunker or along another inclined surface. Accordingly, theerosion resistant composition reduces maintenance and results in bunkersthat are less susceptible to soil contamination. This erosion resistantcomposition can also be used in conjunction with existing techniquesthat prevent erosion, thus further prolonging the time betweenmaintenance.

According to one aspect, an erosion resistant composition comprises agranular material and a wax containing oil in a weight percent between0.01 and 15%. The granular material includes a sand and has a firstresistance to flow in a “raw” or untreated state before being coated bythe wax. The wax at least partially coats a portion of the granularmaterial to form the erosion resistant composition. The erosionresistant composition has a second resistance to flow after coating thatis greater than the first resistance to flow prior to coating.

According to another aspect, a method is provided for forming an erosionresistant composition. A granular material is dried until the granularmaterial is free from liquid or moisture in which the granular materialincludes sand and has a first resistance to flow. A wax (including anoil content between 0.01 and 15% by weight of the wax) is heated above amelting point of the wax to form a melted wax. The melted wax is blendedwith the granular material to at least partially coat a portion of thegranular material to form the erosion resistant composition. The erosionresistant composition has a second resistance to flow after coating thatis greater than the first resistance to flow prior to coating.

The foregoing and other aspects and advantages of the invention willappear from the following description. In the description, reference ismade to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in whichthere is shown by way of illustration a preferred embodiment of theinvention. Such embodiment does not necessarily represent the full scopeof the invention, however, and reference is made therefore to the claimsand herein for interpreting the scope of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-sectional side view of an exemplary golfcourse bunker.

FIG. 2 illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of an erosionresistant sand composition according to one embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-sectional view of another exemplary golfcourse bunker according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of forming an erosionresistant composition for a golf course bunker according to oneembodiment of the present disclosure.

The invention will be better understood and features, aspects, andadvantages other than those set forth above will become apparent whenconsideration is given to the following detailed description thereof.Such detailed description makes reference to the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it isto be understood that the invention is not limited in its application tothe details of construction and the arrangement of components set forthin the following description or illustrated in the following drawings.The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced orof being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood thatthe phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose ofdescription and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of“including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof herein ismeant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereofas well as additional items.

The following discussion is presented to enable a person skilled in theart to make and use embodiments of the invention. Various modificationsto the illustrated embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilledin the art, and the generic principles herein can be applied to otherembodiments and applications without departing from embodiments of theinvention. Thus, embodiments of the invention are not intended to belimited to embodiments shown, but are to be accorded the widest scopeconsistent with the principles and features disclosed herein. Skilledartisans will recognize the examples provided herein have many usefulalternatives and fall within the scope of embodiments of the invention.

The term “sand” as used herein refers to a loose granular material whichmay be formed by the disintegration of rocks to form particles smallerthan gravel but coarser than silt. Sand can include ceramic materials orvarious combinations of ceramic materials potentially includingrecycled, crushed ceramic objects. In one form of the disclosedcomposition, the “sand” component includes pulverized and crushedporcelain from plumbing fixtures such as toilets and sinks. Accordingly,sand includes both naturally occurring sands and manmade manufacturedsands.

The term “silt” as used herein refers to unconsolidated sedimentarymaterial that is smaller than sand and has a particle size that can passthrough a stack of 100 mesh.

In one non-limiting example application, an erosion resistantcomposition 102 can be used in a golf course bunker 100 as depicted inFIG. 1. The golf course bunker 100 includes an under layer 104 that ispositioned below the erosion resistant composition 102. In someembodiments, the under layer 104 includes an angularly-inclined wall 106that slopes vertically downwards to connect an upper surface 108 to alower surface 110, which are both generally horizontal, at leastrelative to the angularly-inclined wall 106. In some embodiments, thegolf course bunker 100 includes approximately 2 to 12 inches of theerosion resistant composition 102 positioned above the lower surface110, and approximately 1 to 5 inches of the erosion resistantcomposition 102 positioned above the inclined wall 106. These depthsassist in reducing the amount of plugged lies along the inclined wall106 and allows for a full swing of a golf club through the erosionresistant material 102 without allowing contact with the under layer104. In some embodiments, the erosion resistant composition 102 coversbetween 60% and 100% of the inclined wall 106. In some embodiments, theerosion resistant composition covers at least 85% of the inclined wall106.

A suitable under layer 104 may be comprised of a soil that naturallyoccurs at that geological location. Alternatively, a suitable underlayer 104 can comprise soil and any additional filler materials (e.g.,stones) that are commonly used in golf course construction.

Turning now to FIG. 2, FIG. 2 shows a non-limiting example of themorphology of the erosion resistant composition 102 according to oneaspect of the present disclosure. The erosion resistant composition 102includes a wax 116 that at least partially coats the surface of aplurality of granular materials 114 including sand. In the illustratedembodiment, the wax 116 is relatively homogenously dispersed as auniform layer over the individual grains of the plurality of granularmaterials 114. While, in the illustrated form, the wax 116 is dispersedover the granular material 114 to form a homogenous coating, it iscontemplated that the wax coating may be a relatively non-homogenouscoating of varying thicknesses or only covering some fraction of thesurface area of the individual grains, or only cover some of the grains.In varying embodiments, it is contemplated that the wax 116 may coat atleast 25%, or at least 50%, or at least 75% of the individual grains ofthe plurality of granular materials 114. It will be appreciated thatdiffering amounts of erosion resistance may result from differentamounts and morphologies of the wax coating.

In some aspects, the consistency of the wax 116 acts to increase thecohesion between local granular particles to increase the interstitialviscosity and the overall resistance to flow. Increasing theinterstitial viscosity by at least partially coating the plurality ofgranular materials 114 with the wax 116 assists in hindering erosion ofthe erosion resistant material 102 along the angularly-inclined walls106. Reducing the rate of erosion along the angularly-inclined walls 106assists in reducing maintenance costs of golf course bunkers 100, andresults in bunkers that are less susceptible to soil contamination.Reducing soil contamination also allows the golf course bunker 100 tomaintain the proper consistency and playability.

In one form, the wax may be a slack wax such as a wax having acomposition including straight chain paraffinic hydrocarbons andbranched, iso-paraffin hydrocarbons with excess residual oil frompartial refining. In some forms of the wax, the average carbon numbermay be between 50 and 53, have a 95% carbon number spread around 52, andhave an n-paraffin content (i.e., normal paraffin or single, unbranched,straight chain structure) from about 10 to 15 weight percent. It isnoted that the wax can have a relatively low amount of oil in it. Insome forms, the oil content is between 0.01 and 15 weight percent of thewax. In one particular form, the wax has less than 5 weight percent oil,and more preferably, around 2.1 weight percent oil, with the low oilcontent helping to impair the flowability of the composition. It will beappreciated that if the oil percentage of the wax is not limited to somedegree, then flowability may increase in the coated composition, therebyreducing the resistance of the composition to erosion.

Another potential benefit of the wax 116 is that it increases thehydrophobicity of the erosion resistant composition 102 and can beuseful in reducing the moisture content in the golf course bunker 100.High moisture contents tend to increase the firmness of the sand in golfcourse bunkers 100, thus increasing the hydrophobicity can assist indrying out the plurality of granular materials 114 to improveconsistency and playability.

A suitable amount of wax 116 within the erosion resistant composition102 can be between 2 to 8% by weight of the total composition. In someaspects, the amount of wax 116 within the erosion resistant composition102 is between 7 to 23 gallons of wax per ton of granular material(based on some test blends which have been made from a wax having adensity of approximately 6.8 lb/gal). In some embodiments, the amount ofwax 116 within the erosion resistant composition 102 may be morenarrowly between 4 to 6% by weight.

The plurality of grains of the granular material 114 for the golf coursebunker 100 can primarily include sand. In some aspects, the sandcomprises silica sand, continental sand, biogenic sand, limestone sand,gypsum sand, calcareous sand, dolomite sand, porcelain sand, granitesand, decomposed granite sand, and mixtures thereof. The “sand” may alsobe pulverized or crushed ceramic components, recycled for this specificpurpose. In some aspects, the plurality of granular materials 114 cancomprise crushed porcelain. For example, the crushed porcelain can bederived from plumbing fixtures such as porcelain toilets, sinks,bathtubs, bathroom tiles, and the like. It should be appreciated thatvarious types of sand may be combined to form the composition.

It is contemplated that a wide range of potential mesh sizedistributions for the granular material may be blended with the wax.While some exemplary distributions are described in this paragraph, theyare only exemplary in nature, and it is contemplated that by adjustingwax amounts, oil percentages, or blend times, erosion resistantcompositions may be generated from a wide range of distributions. Insome embodiments, the plurality of granular materials 114 comprises asand with a particle size distribution that ranges between 0.002 to 8mm. In some aspects, the granular material 114 includes between 5 to 15%of the sand that comprises coarse sand or fine gravel with a particlesize between 1 to 8 mm. In some aspects, the granular material 114includes between 60 to 80% of the sand that comprises medium to coarsesand with the particle size between 0.25 to 1 mm. In some aspects, thegranular material 114 includes between 15 to 25% of the sand thatcomprises fine sand with the particle size between 0.15 to 0.25 mm. Insome aspects, the granular material 114 includes between 5 to 15% of thesand that comprises silt with a particle size between 0.002 to 0.15 mm.In other aspects, the granular material 114 includes between 25 to 40%of the sand with a particle size of 0.15 mm or less.

An example wax 116 for the golf course bunker 100 can include a slackwax with an oil content potentially between 0.01 to 15% by weight. Theoil content in the wax 116 is an important parameter that assists incontrolling the dispersion and colligative properties of the wax 116 inthe plurality of granular materials 114. In the instance where the oilcontent in the wax is too low, the dispersion of the wax 116 within theplurality of granular materials 114 may result in poorly dispersedclumps of wax 116 throughout the plurality of granular materials 114. Inthe instance where the oil content in the wax 116 is too high, thecolligative properties and cohesive forces that assist in increasing theinterstitial viscosity between the plurality of granular materials 114may become too low.

A suitable oil content in the wax 116 is between 0.01 to 15% by weight.In some embodiments, the amount of oil in the wax is between 0.01 to 5%by weight. In one preferred embodiment, the amount of oil in the wax 116may be 2.1% by weight.

In some forms, a suitable wax 116 for the golf course bunker 100 caninclude any wax 116 with a kinematic viscosity between 16 and 20 cStwhen measured at 212° F. (100° C.). In other embodiments, a suitable wax116 can include any wax with a flash point between 350 to 800° F. Insome embodiments, the wax 116 may have a congealing point between 130 to190° F. In other embodiments, the wax 116 may have a density between 5and 10 lb/gal. In one particular form, the wax can have a density of 6.8lb/gal.

In some embodiments, the erosion resistant composition 102 consistsessentially of the wax 116 and the plurality of granular materials 114including sand alone. In one non-limiting example, the plurality ofgranular materials 114 consists essentially of porcelain sand meaningthat the erosion resistant composition is almost entirely (i.e., inexcess of 98% by weight) manufactured sand and wax. Thus, the erosionresistant composition as produced is substantially free of clays andsoils.

In one non-limiting example application, an erosion resistantcomposition 202 can be used in a golf course bunker 200 as depicted inFIG. 3. The golf course bunker 200 includes an under layer 204 that ispositioned below the erosion resistant composition 202 and a playablesand composition 212. In some embodiments, the under layer 204 includesan angularly-inclined wall 206 that slopes vertically downwards toconnect an upper surface 208 to a lower surface 210. The golf coursebunker 200 includes approximately 1 to 5 inches of the erosion resistantcomposition 202 positioned above the angularly-inclined wall 206.Although the majority of the erosion resistant composition 202 ispositioned above the angularly-inclined wall 206, some of the erosionresistant composition 202 may extend into the lower surface 210. Inother embodiments, the erosion resistant composition 202 covers between60 to 100% of the angularly-inclined wall 206. In other aspects, theerosion resistant composition 202 covers at least 85% of the inclinedwall 206. The golf course bunker 200 also includes approximately 2 to 12inches of the playable sand 212 positioned above the lower surface 210.In some aspects, portions of the playable sand may also be positionedabove the erosion resistant composition 202.

In some embodiments, a suitable under layer 204 can comprise any of thesoils listed above. A suitable erosion resistant composition 202 caninclude any combination of the plurality of granular materials 114 andwax 116 listed above. A suitable playable sand 212 can include any ofthe granular materials 114 listed above.

The present disclosure also relates to a method of manufacturing anerosion resistant composition 102, as depicted in FIG. 4. The methodutilizes a plurality of granular materials 114 and a wax 116 which maybe obtained at steps 400 and 402, respectively. The plurality ofgranular materials 114 are pre-dried until they are substantially freefrom liquid or moisture. The wax 116 is then heated to its melting pointto form a melted wax at step 404. In some embodiments, the wax 116 isheated to a temperature between 180 to 400° F. The melted wax 116 andthe plurality of granular materials 114 are then blended together toform the erosion resistant composition 102 at steps 406-408. In someembodiments, the blending occurs in a pug mill process unit or a rotaryblender. However, any suitable blending process unit may be potentiallyused to perform step 406. In some aspects, the content of wax 116 in theerosion resistant composition 102 is between 2 to 8% by weight.

In some embodiments, providing a plurality of granular materials 114 atstep 406 may include first crushing recycled plumbing fixtures toproduce a sand or sand-like substance. In some aspects, the recycledplumbing fixtures can include porcelain toilets, sinks, bathtubs,bathroom tiles, or anything of the like.

The method for manufacturing an erosion resistant composition 102 canoccur in either a continuous or a batch process. In some embodiments,the erosion resistant composition is produced in a continuous process ata rate between 20 to 50 tons/hr.

It will be appreciated that while the erosion-resistant composition isdescribed as being used in the construction of golf course bunkers, thatthe erosion resistant composition may be used more widely in landscapingand land forming applications. For example, the composition may be usedfor the purpose of constructing pathways, playing surfaces (e.g., forsports activities), or one of any various other ground coverapplications for which a granular material might be employed.

Although the invention has been described in considerable detail withreference to certain embodiments, one skilled in the art will appreciatethat the present invention can be practiced by other than the describedembodiments, which have been presented for purposes of illustration andnot of limitation. Therefore, the scope of the appended claims shouldnot be limited to the description of the embodiments contained herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. An erosion resistant composition comprising: agranular material, the granular material comprising sand and having afirst resistance to flow; a wax comprising an oil, the wax at leastpartially coating a portion of the granular material to form the erosionresistant composition, the erosion resistant composition having a secondresistance to flow after coating that is greater than the firstresistance to flow prior to coating; and wherein a weight percent of theoil in the wax is between 0.01-15% and wherein the wax content in theerosion resistant composition is between 2% to 8% by weight.
 2. Theerosion resistant composition of claim 1, wherein the wax has akinematic viscosity between 16 and 20 cSt at 100° C.
 3. The erosionresistant composition of claim 1, wherein the wax has a flash pointbetween 350 and 800° F.
 4. The erosion resistant composition of claim 1,wherein the wax has a congealing point between 130 to 190° F.
 5. Theerosion resistant composition of claim 1, wherein the wax has a densitybetween 5 and 10 lb/gal.
 6. The erosion resistant composition of claim1, wherein the sand is natural or manufactured.
 7. The erosion resistantcomposition of claim 1, wherein the sand has a particle size of lessthan 8 mm.
 8. The erosion resistant composition of claim 1, wherein thesand is selected from a group consisting of silica sand, continentalsand, biogenic sand, limestone sand, gypsum sand, calcareous sand,dolomite sand, porcelain sand, granite sand, decomposed granite sand,and mixtures thereof.
 9. The erosion resistant composition of claim 1,wherein the wax content in the erosion resistant composition is between2 to 6% by weight
 10. The erosion resistant composition of claim 1,wherein the wax content in the erosion resistant composition is between4 to 6% by weight.
 11. The erosion resistant composition of claim 1, aweight percent of the oil in the wax is between 0.01-5%.
 12. The erosionresistant composition of claim 1, wherein the granular material consistsessentially of sand.
 13. The erosion resistant composition of claim 1,wherein the wax has a kinematic viscosity between 16 and 20 cSt at 100°C. and the wax has a density between 5 and 10 lb/gal.
 14. A pathwaycomprising an erosion resistant composition of claim
 1. 15. A ballfieldplaying surface comprising an erosion resistant composition of claim 1.